borgfeldt



(No Model.)

N. H. BORGPELDT.

FIB-E ESCAPE. No. 267,399. Patented Nov. 14,- 1882.

Witn eases I N. PErzns. PhulrxLhMgnph-r, Wnhinglon. D. c.

NITED STATES PATENT tries.

NIUHOLASH. BORGFELDT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Fl RE- ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,399, dated November14, 1882.

Application filed August 22, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NICHOLAS H. Bone- FELDT,of New York city, county and State of New York, have invented anImprovement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of my improvedfire-escape. Fig. 2 is a bottom "iew thereof; Fig. 3, a horizontalsection of the same; Fig. 4, a perspective view of a modificationthereof. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views, hereinafter more fullyreferred to.

This invention relates to a new combination of a compacted or coiledfire-escape with a flexible sheath, so as to make said sheath, whenfilled with the coil, serve the purpose of a hassock or small foot-stooluntil the time comes for using it as a fire-escape, when the sheath canbe readily disengaged and the coil of rope or tape which it containsquickly taken out for use.

The invention also consists in other details of improvement which arehereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, the letter A represents a coil of tape or rope preparedfor use as a fireescape. For this purpose one end ofthe tape or rope Ais by link cjoined to a hook, I), or otherwise so connected to said hookthat will enable it to be fastened to a window-sill or other projectionwhen needed as a fire escape; but while not so used the tape or rope Ais coiled up into a solid coil, as shown in Fig. 3, with the hookbrought into the center of the coil. Here the hook I) and the innermostpart ofthe coil is inserted into a pocket-piece, B, (more clearly shownin Figs. 6 and 7,) which pocketpiece may be a curved hollow piece ofstiff fabric, as shown in Fig. 6, oraround box, open 'at one side, madeof some more rigid material.

This inner pocket, B, holds the hook b properly confined, prevents itfrom protruding against the otberparts ofthe fire-escape or surroundingsheathing, and may also serve another useful purpose when thefire-escape is to be used as such. The coil A is covered bya sheathingor covering, 0, of suitable fabric, which covering is made of such formthat the entire structure when completed resembles a hassock orfootbench, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4.; but the lower part of thiscovering is made with flaps d d, which are joined at the bottom and tiedor buttoned together in suitable manner, so thatwhen the fire-escapeisto be used the covering can be readily opened at the bottom and the ropeor tape taken out.

In Fig. 2 is shown oneform ofsheath O,where the same has at its lowerpart series of flaps d d, all coming to a point near the center,wherethey are tied together. In Fig. 4. is shown a modification of thesheathing, where the same is shown to be made into two flaps that extendup the sides of the hassock, so as to render the opening of thestructure more convenient. When the fire-escape is taken out anduncoiled it can be suspended from a window, and any person can descendby it, if there is no other provision, by taking the sheath Uin one handand the elastic pocket-piece B in the other hand, and through them graspthe rope or tape, using the parts B and G as antifriction pieces toenable him to slide down on the rope, if desired. But the fire-escapecan also be used without the pieces B and O in the descent.

By the, means of this invention any one will be enabled to keep a propersupply of fire-escapesin adwelling-house, hotel, or other building, andmake them serve a useful purposenamely, as stuffings for hassocksas longas they are not used to facilitate escape from a burning structure, andat thesame time, while stored, the fire-escapes do not really occupy anyroom that would otherwise be needed in the house.

I claim-- 1. The coiled fire-escape A I), combined with the flexiblesheathing U, which is capable of being opened, and which is held inshape by said coiled escape A, all arranged for use substantially asspecified.

2. The combination of the central pocketpiece, B, with the coiledfire-escape A and sheathing O, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

NICHOLAS H. BORGFELDT.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. 0. SMITH, WILLY G. E. SCHULTZ.

